By Mark Hayward
The Union Leader
MANCHESTER, N.H. — A Manchester driver who allegedly passed two fire trucks illegally on a narrow city street yesterday morning ended up with a traffic ticket after a fire engine pulled in front of his car and waited for police.
Police said Sameer Khalaf, 25, was talking on a cell phone while driving his Nissan Maxima and passing two fire engines on a double solid yellow line about 9:30 a.m. The engines were returning from a call concerning a sprinkler problem, said fire Lt. Robert Beaudet.
Beaudet said the trucks were traveling north on Calef Road when the car crossed a double-yellow line and swerved around a fire truck at South Beech Street. The car tailgated another engine up Calef Road and swerved around that engine as it was turning into the Calef Road station, with its emergency lights flashing, Beaudet said.
The driver was throwing his hands up as he passed the second engine, Beaudet said.
As Beaudet continued north, he saw the car and driver stopped at a traffic light at Queen City Avenue and Elm Street. He pulled his truck in front of the car and spoke to Khalaf.
“He was still on his cell phone,” Beaudet said. “He was actually very nice, but he didn’t think he did anything wrong.”
Police Lt. Jim Soucy said Khalaf, who lives at 59 W. River Drive, Apt. 35, cannot pay a fine without going to court and must appear in Manchester District Court to answer the charge. His court date is April 27. “He passed them. He passed a couple fire trucks weaving in and out,” Soucy said. “It was the wrong people to screw with, that’s for sure.”
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